The Rejected True Heiress (Liora) novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The hallway was dead silent for a beat.

Then-

“CALLUM.”

My father’s voice made the air snap.

He yanked me by the elbow and marched me outside the faculty wing before I could process what was happening. His grip was bruising, his eyes sharp.

“What the hell was that?” he hissed.

“I’m… still trying to figure it out,” I said, yanking my arm free. “Did you really try to expel her behind my

back? All because of Bianca and I? You don’t think you should have, I don’t know, included me in that

plan?!”

“She is a problem, Callum. She’s not one of us–she’s nothing. And now she’s made a fool of us, in public!”

I bit down hard on my tongue before saying what I really wanted to say: She made a fool of you, not me.

“She’s passed,” I said instead, voice low. “As far as we know. You said she couldn’t. She did. She won at your game, and I didn’t ever take you as a man who cheats, father.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, all fire and fury, like I’d just betrayed him. “That girl is dangerous. She

undermines everything we’ve built. Your alliance with Bianca, your place as heir, your control over this

school. You will act like that girl means nothing to you from now on. Are we clear?”

I didn’t answer right away.

Because no, we weren’t clear.

We didn’t speak for a moment, both of us drilling our gazes into eachother.

My mother broke it first, peering around my father.

“Son…we just…” She paused trying to find the words. “We didn’t expect you to be so…you seem agitated.”

“Do I?” I said, perfectly flat.

She looked over at my father, lips pinched. He finally cut our stare down with a huff and curl of his lip” You’re not happy,” he said finally. “Why? I don’t understand you.”

I stared at the window across the room. It was raining again. Fitting.

“You went behind my back,” I said again, slower this time. “I get it, you wanted to help me. The pack. But you tried to expel her without telling me. You knew I had history with her-”

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Chapter 33

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“We were helping you,” my mother interrupted, frowning. “She’s a distraction. An unstable girl with a chip on her shoulder. You’ve got enough on your plate with Bianca-”

“And the Homecoming,” my father added. “We’ve decided it’s time. You’ll announce the engagement during the ceremony.”

I blinked. “Decided?”

“You need to solidify your role,” he said, more like a command then a choice. “The pack’s influence is slipping. The alliance with Bianca’s family secures our future. This nonsense with the wolfless girl–it’s not worth jeopardizing the entire line over. I’m not sure how many times I need to tell you this.”

My hands curled into fists at my side.

“She passed the exam,” I said quietly.

They kept talking, not hearing me.

“Bianca is a well–bred match,” my mother continued. “She’s elegant, the female alpha, capable, and she

knows how to behave–unlike some.”

“She passed the damn exam,” I snapped, louder this time. “And you don’t think that means something?” It echoed harder than it should’ve. For a second, everything froze.

Then-

“Callum?”

I felt my patience slip further.

Bianca.

She peeked in through the hall doors, all concerned expression and perfect posture, like she hadn’t been

eas dropping.

“Sorry, I was worried,” she said carefully. “Is everything alright?”

My parents turned into diplomats on cue.

My mother turned to her, smiling too brightly. “Darling, of course. Just a spirited discussion! We are so honnored to finally get to chat in person!”

My father added, “We were just talking about your big night. We’re so proud to have you joining the family.

I swallowed the sour taste in my throat, turned to Bianca, and said what I had to say.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Didn’t mean to raise my voice.”

Bianca’s eyes flicked to the table, to my clenched fists, then back to my face. “It’s fine,” she said, with a

Chapter 33

small shrug. “I get it. Stress.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just that.”

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I knew what they wanted. What everyone wanted. A clean, obedient heir who did what he was told, made nice with the right people, kept the family name on top, and smiled through the poison.

I knew my role. Knew the weight of the crown before it was ever placed on my head.

So I apologized. I let her lace her fingers through mine.

Yet even as I settled into the seat beside Bianca, Liora’s image lingered in my mind–the confident tilt of her chin, her steady voice as she confronted my father without hesitation.

And I couldn’t shake the question racing through my thoughts: could a wolfless really be that fearless?

Chapter 34

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Chapter 34